Buff-tip

Moth-ers will identify this immediately, non-moth-ers might be surprised to know what it is. It's a buff-tip moth, a species that has taken cryptic disguise to extraordinary lengths, it looks like a stubby little birch twig as it sits motionless through the daylight hours. Some moths are a challenge to identify because of their similarity to other species, but the buff-tip is utterly distinctive in its shape and markings, there is nothing else remotely like it.

I put the moth trap out last night, the first time since 2011. This is the time of year for peak numbers, and these balmy evenings are perfect. Amongst the several hundred moths attracted to the mercury vapour lamp, I identified 52 species today. There were others that were too worn or just too difficult to work out. There were 4 buff-tips, all but one scattered around the trap.

When I was trapping regularly, I learned that if I didn't get up early and rescue the ones outside the trap, the blackbirds would hoover them up. So I went out at 0530 and spent half an hour collecting them up in little bottles to keep in a cool place during the day. However, I must have missed a few as when I came home at 0715 with Gus, there was a lady blackbird with a beakful of buff ermines. A couple of years ago even getting up at dawn wasn't early enough, so I had to stop - I was getting too tired. It's a shame as moth trapping is pure magic, opening the trap in the morning is as exciting as opening Christmas presents. You never know what might turn up. These are insects of subtle colours and patterns, whose beauty makes butterflies look gaudy.

The crypsis of the buff-tip fooled the blackbird, she didn't see it. And it stayed all day in the place I put it, on the small stem of our new apple tree. All the others have been safely released into the night.

ps I'm sorry that my commenting has been so poor recently, I will try and catch up over the weekend.